Archive

On July 22, Metropolitan Psychological Corporation (MPC) will be holding its second talk for 2016 entitled, “Self-Injurious Behaviors among Adolescents: Assessment and Interventions with Dr. Ma. Teresa Gustilo-Villasor.”

This event will be held at the Ateneo Professional Schools – Ateneo de Manila University in 20 Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City from 9 AM – 4 PM (Friday).

Promo for talk on “Self-Injurious Behaviors among Adolescents: Assessment and Interventions.”

#DameTimeManila Press Conference – Clockwise: Adidas pulls out all the stops on this incredible backdrop. | A smiling Damian Lillard. A rare shot considering his stoic demeanor. | As close as I could get. | Thank you Adidas Philippines for this awesome backpack. | Thanks to NextJam for the souveneir ticket. | A photo of the Media Registration tarpaulin at the Kerry Sports Arena.

It was past two in the afternoon when Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard, the Portland Trailblazers dynamic 6’3’’ point guard, made his way to the seating area of the Kerry Sports Arena in Shang-ri La The Fort, Bonifacio Global City for his Manila press conference. The two-time NBA all-star took several questions from the media and this was what I asked him:

Dr. Tedi Villasor: “Hi Dame. We have a lot of aspiring high school, collegiate, and professional (basketball) players. Could you give us in your opinion what are the five qualities that they should possess to be really good basketball players?

Damian Lillard: “Off the top of my head, I would say that number one would have to be character. If you have high character, you work hard, be a good teammate, coachable and…all of the intangibles that go along with it.

Having a good work ethic…wanting it more. Keep advancing in the levels of the game. Get your team to improve (towards) a championship.

Fourth, be honest with yourself. It is very important to be honest with yourself when it comes to weaknesses. You might be in a situation where you have to be that guy in the last six or seven games. Understand who you are and understand the situation you are in.Read more…

Regardless, everyone knows that it was partnership that was borne from the success of last year’s AsiaPOP Comicon. The formula: Bring in international celebrities/personalities in order to enrich our pop culture experience.

The caveat of course is that this “enriching experience” would almost always entail an additional expense which eventually presented itself in the form of a 400% increase in one-day ticket prices[i] and a 233% increase for three-day passes. Other meet-and-greet packages were also announced but their sizable cost would only warrant the attention of the true fans of the celebrity guests.

Now, I am happy for those who can afford to shell out some hard cash to have an audience with our international guests…but what about us who are only really interested in seeing the hobby merchants? Why make us pay so much more for people or acts that we have no real interest in seeing?

I surmise that the only fair way around this is that if the SMX Convention Center will still be the future home of ToyCon, then the organizers should allot one of the mini-halls on the second floor to the toy and comic merchants. With this concession (and a reduced entrance fee), it would—in my mind—become a more legitimate ToyCon wherein comic/toy enthusiasts and sellers can engaging in shoptalk. No flash. All hobby. Just the way it should be. Read more…

On April 28, Metropolitan Psychological Corporation (MPC) will be holding its first talk for 2016 entitled, “From the Classroom to the Boardroom to the Playing Field: Highlighting seven points to developing mental toughness” with Dr. Tedi Gustilo Villasor.

This event will be held at the Ateneo Professional Schools – Ateneo de Manila University in 20 Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City from 9 AM – 12 NN (Thursday).

Promo for talk on “From the Classroom to the Boardroom to the Playing Field: Highlighting seven points to developing mental toughness.”

Clockwise: The LOTR’s Cave-Troll statue. | The ‘Hulk King on Throne’ statue from the pages of World War Hulk | Old Man Logan statue | My Comic Odyssey haul: G.I. Joe #50, Supercrooks #2, The West Coast Avengers (Issues #19, #25, #29, #30, #32, and #37) and almost the entire run of Indestructible Hulk (Issues 002-003, 005-017, 019-020, Annual 001, and Special 001).

Swung by Day 1 of the Manila Hobbies & Collectibles Convention at the SM Megatrade Hall 3 today and was greatly disappointed—outside the really cool Old Man Logan, King Hulk, Cave-Troll[i], and Spider-Man statues near the entrance—with what they had to offer. Let’s just leave it at that.

I then made my way to Fully Booked Promenade in Greenhills to check out the Comic Odyssey closing sale. Although I came way with a number of quality finds, I am saddened by the fact that yet another pure comic book specialty shop is shutting down permanently. In the last couple of years, we have seen Comic Odyssey’s branch in Robinson’s Place-Manila and Filbar’s (as we knew them) suffer similar fates.

Some circles feel that this is a good thing. That they could probably get better deals “online.” But let me tell you: That smell when you enter the shop. That conversation you have with your local comic book proprietor. No online shop will ever give you that.

It is one of those experiences that you will only truly value once it is gone.

________________________________________

[i] From the Lord of the Rings (2001) movie. It is the same cave-troll that is seen in the battle at the Chamber of Mazarbul.